1. Field of Invention
This application relates to electrocardiograph devices, and more particularly to electrocardiograph patches, connectors and devices that include the patches and connectors.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Human cardiac muscle tissue operates through similar electric and electrochemical properties as human neurons and skeletal muscle, in that the human heart generates an electrical impulse that is propagated to the cardiac muscle, which becomes stimulated. Once the cardiac muscle is stimulated, it contracts. It is the ordered stimulation of the cardiac muscle, or myocardium, that causes the heart to contract, which then pumps blood throughout the human body. The electrical impulse, or electrical potential, that is generated by the heart appears throughout the body and on the surface of the body, and is thus capable of being read by electrodes placed on the surface of the human body. This has traditionally been done by placing a number of electrical leads, or electrodes, on the surface of a patient, which are capable of receiving the electrical potential generated by the heart and transmitting that information to one or more devices for recording. In order to properly assess and diagnose cardiac function, or injury, it is necessary to evaluate several electrodes at once. It is known to place electrodes on each of the four limbs of a patient in order to properly read and record the electrical potential. Three of these electrodes are placed on the patient's right and left arms, and left leg, with the fourth optionally placed on the right leg as a ground lead. It is also possible to shorten the distance between these leads while still maintaining the proper amplitude of signal to obtain a proper reading. In this instance, a modified three-lead system is employed in which electrodes are placed on the right shoulder, left shoulder, and mid-sternum areas. Three leads are sufficient in some instances to properly assess cardiac rhythm. In some cases, four leads may be suitable. In other cases, five or six leads may be suitable.
As can be appreciated, the placement of separate electrodes and the connection of the respective leads from those electrodes to a recording device can be inconvenient and time-consuming to hospital personnel. Placing the leads on the limbs of a patient as described above is a time consuming process and can cause a delay in treatment in an emergency situation. In an office setting, where the patient is fully clothed, placing electrodes in this manner may require the patient to remove his or her clothing, which makes the procedure more difficult for both patient and medical personnel.
Numerous devices have been created to read the electrical potential generated by the heart. Many of these devices are electrocardiographic monitoring devices which employ electrodes placed along the precordium and the limbs of a patient, while others are comprised of just leads placed on the precordium. Some devices include a large triangular patch, with electrodes embedded therein, designed to cover the bulk of the patent's chest. The large area covered by this patch allows for increased signal amplitude to allow for more accuracy in assessing the EKG complexes. Others employ smaller patches made of rigid materials housing an array of electrodes, and still others have been created for very specialized, limited fields and purposes, such as magnetic resonance imaging, thus limiting their use to a single application or method. All of these devices require the chest of the patient to be exposed in order to ensure proper placement and may thus be improved upon.
Additionally, permanent implantable pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators are now common. In order for medical personnel to assess whether these devices are functioning properly, it is necessary to monitoring the patient's heart rhythm. While it is possible to use the three limb lead configuration to accomplish this task, typically the EKG monitors employed utilize a four lead cable, thus requiring the ground lead. Attaching each electrode and wire on the patient is a cumbersome process, and time consuming especially if that patient is fully clothed.